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In a watermill, the waterwheel is the primary source of power
to operate the mill. Without a wheel, and an adequate supply of
water, a watermill cannot work. Although the millpond still
survives, New Hall Mill lost the water supply from the Ebrook to
the millpond in 1964 during river realignment to reduce flooding
in the Sutton Coldfield area. The mill now relies upon a small
spring and local drainage into the remaining length of the
original leat and recycling water.
The wheel is an external overshot wheel, 11ft (3.35m) in
diameter and 6ft (1.83m) wide, fitted with 36 buckets supported by
two sets of six cast iron arms on an 8" iron shaft. The date
of the water-wheel is unknown, but it is most likely to be between
1840 and 1910. The name "T. Price" is cast into the
shroud but it is believed the wheel was made by George Turton of
Kidderminster. Originally the buckets around the wheel were made
of wood but these were replaced by metal in early 1997. The speed
of the waterwheel is controlled by the Penstock,
adjusted by the miller from inside the mill. Except for the Millstones, the only other item of
machinery that is powered by the waterwheel is the Aspirator. After leaving the wheel, the
water flows through a culvert under the mill and mill cottage and
into a collecting tank. From here it is recycled back to the mill
pond by an automatic electric pump.
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